Professor John Andrew Thornton
19/12/1927 to 31/12/2018
Place of birth: Hugglescote, Leicestershire
Nationality: British
Professor, from 1971
CRN: 519881
Education and qualifications
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General education |
Wyggeston Grammar School, Leicester; Oakham School, Rutland; St John’s School, Leatherhead; Leicester University College; Guy’s Hospital Medical School |
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Primary medical qualification(s) |
MBBS, London, 1951 |
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Initial Fellowship and type |
FFARCS by Election |
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Year of Fellowship |
1954 |
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Other qualification(s) |
MRCS LRCP, 1951; DA(RCP&S), 1953; MD, London, 1971 |
Professional Life and Career
Postgraduate Career
Initial appointments (house physician, house surgeon & SHO in anaesthetics) were at Lewisham Hospital, and he then returned to Guy’s as resident anaesthetist. Between 1953-6 served as a specialist in anaesthetics in the RAMC, spending 1954 as lecturer in the Kitchener School of Medicine in Khartoum. From 1956 lecturer in experimental medicine at Guy’s, first graded as a registrar and then senior registrar, before being appointed a consultant to the Sheffield United Hospitals in 1961. Moved sideways to a senior lecturer post two years later, becoming foundation professor in 1971. In 1983, went to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, again as foundation professor, this time of anaesthesia & intensive care, holding this post until retirement in 1988 although continuing to fill locum posts for a few years thereafter.
Professional interests and activities
Research, much of it on drug reactions and with a focus on dental sedation, was a feature throughout his career, the basis of a wide range of publications. Elected FFARACS in recognition of his work. Served a term on the Board of our then Faculty and was Advisor in Anaesthetics to the Briitsh Army.
Other biographical information
Married to Elizabeth they had four chidren: Charlotte, Rachel, Rebecca (her son a doctor) & Christopher, a professor of fungal immunology. A keen painter in water colours he was also a steam railway enthusiast, building one eighth scale models from scratch himself.
Author and sources
Author: Self-written with input from son Christopher, and Dr Adrian Padfield
Sources and any other comments: [1] Harrison MJ. British Academic Anaesthetists 1950-2000, Vol 1. Wellington: Harrison, 2011, 119-28. ISBN 9780473200497